Scars
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Sequel To "Hatred Is Thicker Than Blood." When Jeff and Beth come home to find some startling discoveries, they soon find themselves on a journey to find Matt and Shannon, who have disappeared from Matt's home. Who is behind it? Well, there lies a mess...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Well, here is the long waited sequel to the story that everyone seemed to really like. I debated doing one for a long time, unsure if I could come up with any ideas for it. But tonight I found myself unable to sleep and it came to me, soo... I hope you enjoy the sequel as much as you enjoyed the first story! :)

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Jeff Hardy sighed as he made his way through the airport, looking for the familiar site of this girlfriend, Beth Britt. He was tired, the WWE and their hectic scheduling took a lot out of him these days. All he wanted to do was go home with Beth and sleep for two days straight (not that he could do that, but the thought of it sounded wonderful).

After signing a couple of autographs, he found Beth sitting on a bench, texting from her phone. She smiled when she saw him, standing up. He was quick to wrap her in his arms and give her a kiss. "I missed you," she murmured into his ear. "A lot."

Jeff nodded. "I know. I missed you too. So… what's been going on in Cameron since I left?"

Beth laughed, lacing her hand into Jeff's. "Not too much. Lucas got out and Matt and I had to run through the woods to get him. That's about as exciting as it gets."

Jeff smiled lovingly at Beth and gratefully got into the car with her. It was a half hour drive until he got back home, but it didn't matter anymore to him. He was close enough and everywhere he happened to be was perfect.

Or so he thought.

As they got closer to their house, Jeff smelled something that made his gut churn: smoke. Last time he smelt that, his house had burnt down before his eyes, Jack with it. And every time he smelt the smell now, his heart always worried just a bit.

"Mat must be burning some trash," Jeff tried to say calmly, toying with a loose string on his shirt.

Beth murmured something. Then, suddenly, the car jerked wildly, swerving off the road and into a tree. All Jeff could hear was Beth's frightened screams as he prayed they'd make it out alive. The car stopped abruptly though, startling them both.

Beth's chest heaved up and down as she looked around her. They hadn't gone far from the road, but it was definitely enough to scare them both. "Are you alright?" Jeff asked, touching Beth's cheek as some relieved tears fell from her eyes.

"I'm fine," she choked out, opening her door. Luckily, the car wasn't too damaged. She peered around before calling to Jeff, her voice shrill. "Look!" she cried. "There are nails in the front and back tires. It blew them out."

Jeff kneeled down, touching them. They were old and rusty. Then, slowly he climbed up from the trees and examined the road. Everywhere identical nails laid, some large, some small. "What the fuck?" Jeff had to ask.

Beside him, Beth shivered. "Maybe someone dropped them on the way. Either way, that is not fucking safe." She began to brush the nails off to the side of the road so it didn't happen to anyone else. Then, she took Jeff by the arm and began to walk towards Matt's house, which was closer than taking the back road to theirs.

And what they saw when they got there startled them more. Matt's lawn was engulfed in flames. Jeff's heart hammered in his chest as Beth stared in slight awe and fear. He ran to the back of Matt's house, coughing and sputtering to get the hose. When he got it, he sprayed the fire as fast as he could. Luckily, the fire wasn't all that large and it went out within five minutes.

"What is going on?" Beth wailed.

Jeff sighed and shook his head, only for another shiver to go down his spine as he read what he put out. In the places the fire had been words were spelled out. Words that scared him as much as it probably scared Beth. Maybe he was crazy, but he couldn't help but think back to about two months ago when everything was falling apart.

'_I'm back…' _it wrote.

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**Hmm, back? Who could possibly be back? *whistles innocently***


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Yay, I'm glad everyone likes it so far. Thank you for the reviews. ^__^ I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this yet, but oh well. It'll work out over time. Enjoy!

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He awoke with a start, sweat dripping down his back and face. The dream played like a broken record every night while he was out traveling with the WWE. And every night and morning, he called to make sure everything was alright. This had been going on for two weeks now. Jeff didn't feel right. He wanted to make the nightmare stop, but that involved going back there. To see why these dreams were happening.

The call came about a month before this. It was from the hospital where Coral was getting her treatment. Her doctor, Dr. Jesse Leamer, said she was finally allowed to have visitors once a week and asked if he wanted to come see her. Startled by the call, Jeff couldn't think of why Coral would want to see Jeff. He was half of the reason she was in that place after all. Sure, he still thought about her (pre-dreams) and wondered how she was doing. But she also tried to break him and Beth up, kill his best friend, and injured his brother. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't forget that.

Forgetting that meant Coral's stay in the hospital was useless. Visiting her could lead right back to what put her there in the first place: a breakdown. But then there was his own selfish wonder. If he finally gave in to the doctor's suggestion, would the dreams stop? Could he finally go on his job without worrying he'd come home to disaster?

With a sigh, he crawled out of bed and saw that his travel buddy, Shane Helms, was in the shower. Shane, who had been not present for the majority of Coral's stay only heard about the horror secondhand. He was also the only one who knew about Jeff's dreams and problems.

Shane had said he should visit Coral, which surprised him. You'd think the safety issues that could erupt from said visit would plague him to say no. But maybe Shane had been right. He'd said, "Well maybe seeing you would help her more. From what you've said, she liked you… if only a little too much. I'd think without anyone who happened to mean something to her, she'd never get well."

The bathroom door opened, exposing Shane in a towel. One look at Jeff's frazzled state told him one thing. "It happened again?" he asked, walking over to his bed. From there he dung around in his suitcase, pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Yep," Jeff murmured, staring back at his face in the mirror. It looked like he didn't even sleep at all. There were dark, purple circles under his eyes and the rest of his face was puffy. Thank God at the show tonight he'd have the face paint on. That would be all he would need, the aftermath of no sleep leading some internet personality to think he was using drugs again. "I don't know what it fucking means, man."

Shane looked up from putting on his clothes. "I told you, I don't think it's an omen. I think it means you should go visit her."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "And what if this leads to the dream coming true…?"

Shane countered Jeff's eye roll with one of his own. "You're thinking negatively. The doctors can work wonders at those hospitals. My cousin, when I was young was admitted to one for being bi-polar too. Three months there and she was a new person."

"You've never met Coral," Jeff couldn't help but reply. "She's… crazy."

"Calling someone crazy is what makes them crazier in the first place," Shane sighed. "By going there you're going to help her, man. I'm telling you."

Jeff sighed. "I know, I keep thinking that. But the dreams and the possibility of the opposite happening is what keeps me from going."

"So here is what you do." Shane sat down backwards onto a stair and looked Jeff head on. "You visit her once. See what happens. If it doesn't go the way you want it to, tell her you're very busy with the WWE for the next few weeks and when she asks to see you again, say you don't know how long it will be. So then you wait a few more months. And go back, the same deal if she doesn't seem any better…"

"I don't know, Shane."

"Just try it. Would you rather sleep without the nightmare, or wonder if going to see her could stop it once and for all and let you sleep again?" Shane stood up, grabbing his gym bag with a look of knowing of his face. He then pulled his keys from the dresser to his right. "I'll see you tonight at the taping. Just think about it."

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**Aha, I tricked y'all! It was just a dream. Where to next? Oh knows! *giggles***


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews. ^__^ Here's another chapter! Enjoy!

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Jeff was a mess at the taping. Again, the dream had ruined his day. While working out, he nearly dropped a twenty-five pound weight on his foot and then, while driving to the arena, he nearly crashed into another car. Part of him wanted to take Shane's advice and then the other part of him wanted to stay as far as way from Coral as he could. Besides, he knew if he went to visit Coral, Matt, Beth, and especially Shannon would be pissed.

But was his sanity worth a visit? He couldn't remember the last time he got a good night's sleep. Sure, as a WWE wrestler that was rare already, but he was sleeping less than he normally did, and it was beginning to show. He botched at least three times during his match with CM Punk for a house show not too long ago. And he knew that people were beginning to notice. And unlike some of his friends, his boss wouldn't care for the reasons behind the screw ups.

When he got back to his hotel room for the night, he saw Shane had already fallen asleep. With a sigh, he hoped he could too.

The next morning, he awoke to the same feeling of dread. Each time he had the dream, it got considerably worse. This time, Beth wasn't with him and she was missing, Coral threatening murder. His heart raced as he got dressed and got ready to drive home to North Carolina, ready to settle this once and for all.

Forget about everyone else's opinions on what he was going to do. It didn't matter to him. They'd understand. He needed the dreams to stop. He needed his life back. He was going to visit Coral.

By the time he got home from traveling, it was early evening. Beth and Matt were sitting in the backyard of Matt's house, both having beers in their hands. Beth was quick to greet Jeff with a kiss and a lovable hug. He felt terrible knowing tomorrow he'd lie to her, but it was a decision made.

So, on Thursday morning, Jeff got up early, leaving a note that claimed he was going to run some errands. It took him about an hour to get to the hospital. When he found it, he sat in his car, staring at the building for a long time. Inside somewhere, Coral was. Inside was what could stop the torture he received.

"I'm here to visit Coral Moore."

The receptionist looked up at Jeff without much enthusiasm. "What was the patient's name?"

"Coral Moore."

The older woman nodded and began to type in her computer. Her eyes scanned the computer screen and then, she took a visitor's pass and wrote something on it. "Room 104, it's down the hallway to your right. Show this pass to anyone who asks who you are. We keep an orderly procedure here."

Jeff nodded, thanking the room. Then, he looked at the pass and began down the hallway, unsure how this would all go. What would Coral be like? Would she still be angry? He didn't know, but standing in front of the room 104, he knew he didn't have much longer to think about it. Coral was on the other side of the door.

So he knocked, doing the only logical thing to do.

And her voice answered, a muffled, "Come in" as a reply.

Jeff held the door handle for a moment, staring at the metal in front of him. Then, with a sigh, he opened the door. Coral was on her bed when he came in and didn't look up. On the opposite side of the room was another girl, who appeared to be asleep. She had very long hair that wrapped around her body almost like a blanket.

Jeff knew something good had to come from Coral's stay, as she was in the wing that didn't need someone to escort you to the room. This sounded to him, like a good thing. Coral must have gotten help like they wanted.

Finally, she looked up and saw Jeff. Her expression changed several times over the proceeding moments, from shock, to confusion, to anger, to happiness, and then to blankness. "Hi Coral," Jeff tried, his voice gentle. "Your doctor said I could come visit."

She didn't answer. This was not a good sign to Jeff.

"Coral?"

"Go away, Jeff."

He didn't expect that. Sure, he expected a bit of a struggle with the young girl, but he didn't except her not to want to see him. They left off with a decent goodbye. So what changed?

"Coral, I'm—"

"I don't want to see you."

Jeff frowned. "Your doctor said you were allowed to have visitors. I figured—"

"My doctor doesn't know much of anything," she said with a cold laugh. "He thinks he knows everything about me."

"You seem better. Happier."

"I'd be happier if you left."

"Coral, what's the matter? I thought you'd be happy to see me."

Coral looked up from whatever she was doing and stared him dead-on with her cool green eyes. "And what made you think that?"

"When we last talked—"

"When we last talked," Coral said, cutting him off, "you were saving your conscience. If you really would have wanted to talk to me, or see me, you would have answered the letters."

Now, Jeff was confused. "Letters?! What letters? I never got a letter, Coral. The first time I ever heard from this place was last month when the doctor called to let me know you would like to see me."

Confused flashed her face for a moment. "I never said that."

"That's not what the doc—"

"The doctor doesn't know what he's talking about," she snapped. "Leave, Jeff. And don't come back."

"No."

Coral sighed, her face still very calm. "You're not helping my anger management. I'm asking you nicely, one more time. Please leave, Jeff."

So she had gotten help, it seemed. And he seemed to be testing that help. "I really don't think I should, Coral. You see—"

"LEAVE!" she screamed, her voice shrill. "LEAVE NOW!"

There was a flashback-like tone to her voice, one that reminded him of the past. One that told him he should leave, before they both got in trouble. It seemed he wasn't going to get his peace with Coral. So, with a nod, he backed up, looking at her once more before taking his body through the door and leaving the hospital.

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**Ooh, that didn't go well, did it? What's going on? Hmmm, you'll have to keep reading to find out! ;D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Sorry for a bit of a wait to this. Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!

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When Jeff arrived home, he felt exhausted, both mentally and physically. With a sigh, he set his keys down on the table and took a seat on Matt's couch, hoping his brother could offer some wisdom. It didn't sink in then that Matt would be most likely furious with him for seeing Coral.

What was he going to do? Coral had mentioned letters. In the time she'd been away, he hadn't gotten a single letter from her. Maybe they were postmarked wrong, or maybe, Coral was lying. It wouldn't be the first time. Then, with a sharp breath, he realized Coral only knew the address to Matt's house and the letters probably came there. With a new hope, he ran into the kitchen where Matt happened to leave his mail, only to go through it when bills were already late. He sifted through a water bill, a gas bill, and a two month old direct TV bill, only to find a pile of junk left. There wasn't any way Coral could have known his new address. They were still living with Matt at that point.

"What are you doing?" Jeff spun around to see Matt and Shannon standing by the door, staring at his frantic body. Their eyes shifted to the mail in Jeff's hands and then back to his face. Guiltily, Jeff put it down and faced them full on.

"I was just looking to see if my… uh, gas bill came here by mistake." He wasn't a bad liar. Hopefully his brother and close friend wouldn't pick up on the fib.

"Oh," Matt said easily. "Alright."

A silence overcame the kitchen as Shannon set some steaks down on Matt's counter and Matt put beers in the fridge. Jeff couldn't take it. He had to know if Matt knew anything about these so-called letters Coral had mentioned.

"So, I went somewhere today," he began casually, leaning against the wall. No response. Jeff cursed silently. He was going to have to be blunt to get a reaction from the guys. "I visited Coral."

Shannon was the first to spin around. "What?" He looked furious, as well as a little hurt. Though he had never admitted it, Jeff knew Shannon had cared for Coral and if they had gotten along, he would have been glad to have a sister. For the girl, no matter how bitchy, to try to take his life had hurt him, deeply.

Matt turned at a slower pace. "Did you just say…?"

Jeff swallowed, nodding. "Her doctor called me a few weeks ago to say she was at a stage where visitors are allowed. He suggested I visit… that she'd been asking for me."

Shannon seethed, "Of course she'd ask for you! She's in _love_ with you, Jeff. How could you be so stupid? You not only put yourself in danger, but everyone—"

He had to roll his eyes. There wasn't any danger. "Shannon, relax. She wouldn't talk to me anyway." Jeff shifted his attention to Matt, concentrating on his expression. "She did, however say that I never answered any letters she sent. I never got any letters… which I found strange. Did they come here, Matt?"

It didn't take a second more to know Matt knew something. He was like an open book. He swallowed and looked away, as if his brother hadn't asked him a question. "I can't believe you went to—"

"Matt," Jeff repeated, cutting off Shannon. "Where are the letters? What did you do with them?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Silence overcame the kitchen. "Matt, it's all over your face. What did you do with them?"

"_I _didn't do anything with them."

"Then who did?"

Matt bit down on his lip, knowing Jeff wouldn't be happy with his answer. "Beth."

A throaty laugh escaped his throat. How did Beth fit into this? "What? Matt, seriously—"

"When the first letter arrived and I saw the return address, I was a little spooked." Beside him, Shannon still fumed. "So I showed it to Beth. Right there, she took it and tore the envelope into pieces. I didn't know what to do, but every time another letter arrived, she'd take it from me. I don't know what she did with the rest of the letters, but…"

"How many were there?"

Matt swallowed again, his face turning red. "Probably at least ten. They came once a week or so."

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?" Jeff couldn't help but yell. "This girl—"

"I was only thinking at your best interest," Matt said softly. "She needs _help_, Jeff. And contacting you isn't going to get her said help. It's going to make it worse."

"I can't believe you went to visit her," Shannon mumbled.

"No, it wouldn't have! Now she's really mad at me for something she thought I did when I had no idea about any of it." Jeff raged into the living room, his eyes flaring with green anger. He grabbed his keys as Matt came after him.

"Where are you going?"

"ANYWHERE! Just leave me the fuck alone!" And with that, the door slammed, leaving Matt to stare at it without much more to say.

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**DUN DUN DUN!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Sorry for a bit of a wait to this. Thank you for the reviews. Things are about to get interesting. ;D

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Jeff drove around the Cameron area for about an hour, enraged. Coral was getting help. She wasn't a danger. Those letters were something he needed to read. If she had made any progress, his lack of contact could have shattered it all. And truthfully, though he wanted to be mad at Beth, he found he couldn't be. In fact, as he continued to drive, he realized he wasn't really mad at anyone, more so the situation. Both his family and friends were correct in several ways. Coral wasn't someone he should have gone to see without consulting them first. But they also didn't understand the detail that Jeff had a strange connection with Coral. It wasn't just her that couldn't let go; Jeff couldn't either.

He had to find those letters. He had to read them and then go explain this to Beth and hopefully make it work somehow so that Coral knew the truth. It wasn't for him, it was for her. He wanted her to get the help she needed. When she was "normal", she wasn't a bad person. A little bit of a rebel and perhaps a little bizarre, yes but she wasn't a bad person. The problems in her life led her to the mess. If somehow, in some way, Shannon could have found some sort of compromise with her, Jeff thought things just might be a little different now.

With a deep breath, he turned the car around. First, he had to apologize to Matt and Shannon. They were simply trying to protect him and the others they cared about. Second, he had to talk to Beth. If she had hid those letters, or even destroyed them, he had to find out why. Jealousy didn't seem to be the right reason, but Jeff couldn't think of another reason why. Jeff was an adult. He could have dealt with the letters appropriately. She had to know that.

The car slowed to a stop a few minutes later. How long had he been gone? About an hour and a half. Not too long. But it seemed that Matt and Shannon were gone, considering the driveway and garage was empty. Oh well, he drove down the old path toward his new house. Beth's car seemed to be home though. That would be a good place to start.

He exited the car and walked quickly toward the door. To his surprise, Beth opened it first. She looked pissed. "What happened upstairs?"

Jeff shrugged. "I dunno. What happened upstairs?"

"The room is trashed!" Beth snapped. "Papers torn and picture frames shattered. What did you do?"

"What do you mean what I did I do?" Jeff responded with a laugh. "Maybe Lizzie did it."

Beth shook her head, her face softening. It began to set in her boyfriend had no idea what she was talking about. She then grabbed his arm, swinging the door closed behind him, and pulled him up the stairs.

Inside of their bedroom, the room looked like a tornado had hit it. There were papers from a desk scattered everywhere, many torn into several pieces. Photo frames which Beth had received from fans were below him, also broken. "What happened in here?"

"I don't know. I came home and I found it like this. Well, actually, I found Lizzie huddled in a corner and then I followed her up the stairs to the room. I thought maybe you were looking for something or…" She trailed off, blushing. "Stupid thought."

Jeff nodded. "Understandable. Why would I break the photo frames though?" He looked up to the desk where several photos still sat. The ones remaining were pictures of Jack and other things such as an old photo of his mother and father. Reality set then and dread fell flat on his stomach. "Beth, which photos were broken?"

"Um, a couple of you and me. And then a photo of Matt holding Lucas. The one I took in the park, remember?"

"Shit," Jeff complained. "Shit! This can't be happening." Jeff fell onto the bed and sat with his head in his hands. He was only like that for a moment before he peered up at Beth, who was staring at him in confusion. "Where are the letters?"

"Letters?"

Jeff didn't have time to screw around. "Matt told me you took the letters Coral was sending me. I don't have time to explain right now, but it's important that if you still have them, I need to see them. Something happened today and if I'm not overreacting, Coral had something to do with this."

"What?" Beth yelled. "How is that possible? She's in a hospital. She can't go parading around here."

"Do you have them or not?"

Beth nodded a little, motioning for him to follow her. They walked into an old storage room which Jeff would never go into. Smart move on Beth's part, of course. She pushed some crates aside and then opened a loose floorboard. Then, she carefully dusted them off. "Here."

Jeff counted eight of them. "And the original one you torn up, right?" Beth nodded, still looking slightly confused and more so worried. Slowly, he sat and began to open them one by one. The letters were happy at first, Coral writing about her progress and how she was so sorry for what she did. Then, as he got into the fifth letter, threats began to be made, angry words said. By the ninth letter, addressed for only one week before, Coral had promised Jeff would pay. A week before: just when the dreams had reached the peak of fear.

"What do they say, Jeff?" He carefully handed them to her and watched as fear rose on her face too.

"We need to get to the hospital and tell the doctors. But first I want to stop at Matt's house and leave him a note. It's best he knows incase she sends anything else or tries to send something dangerous his way."

"Right," Beth answered. "Good idea."

They worked quickly, walking down the stairs, Beth taking Lizzie as a precautionary measure with them. Then, they took the car toward Matt's house, Jeff explaining the dreams and the things he had hidden the past two months, including Coral's visit earlier to Beth.

"I wish you would have told me," she whispered quietly. "I wouldn't have been that mad."

Jeff smiled. "I didn't want to worry you."

She nodded, not speaking again. They then got out of the car and walked toward the front door. Jeff used his key to unlock the door and found Lucas waiting anxiously, his little body rattling. Immediately, Beth sensed it. "Something's wrong."

Jeff placed one hand on her shoulder, pulling her a little closer. "I felt it too." He made his way down the hallway, about to call out for Matt, just in case he had somehow missed a car, when he saw the marks on the carpet. A small pool of blood. And it was fresh.

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**Again, DUN DUN DUN. ;D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Thank you so much for the reviews. :) Again I say things are about to get verrrry interesting. :) Enjoy the chapter!

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Jeff felt Beth's grip dig into his shoulder and the fear that went with it. "What is that?" she said in a soft voice. Both of their sets of eyes were glued to the floor, staring at the red liquid. "Please don't tell me that's…"

"Fuck!" his voice rang out. "Where are they? Matt? Shannon!"

Beth watched in terror as he began to circle around the house, crashing though each room, eyes more frantic than the last. But the truth was told: Matt and Shannon were gone. And the blood on the floor told a story that said it wasn't by their own will. It was one person who came to mind. Just one person who wanted to make their lives hell. Jeff had thought she'd changed. He'd given this girl so many chances and when everyone else had, he hadn't given up on her. But she obviously had taken his brother and best friend. This time, he feared if she had hurt them they wouldn't find them in time.

He worked his way back over to Beth, who was crying silently. The younger Hardy brought her close, hugging her to his chest, trying to stop her tears. Beth was always unafraid but she was broken in his arms. Fear was her body. "This is my entire fault," she sobbed softly. "If I would have showed you the letters…"

"Stop it," Jeff was quick to reply. "You didn't know. None of us did."

This didn't satisfy Beth. She knew that those letters had to be important, but the low dull of jealousy still rang in her. She had seen the way Coral had acted around Jeff. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that if Coral got in contact with Jeff, it'd happen again. She thought by hiding the letters she'd prevent this but the girl should have known that somehow, the little sister of Shannon's would find her way to Jeff. She always did.

"Wait, what's that?" Beth was caught off guard by a large envelope in the kitchen, staring them smack in the face.

Seeing this, Jeff ran forward, tearing it open. There were bloodied fingerprints on the cover. Her handwriting was in his eyesight. It was a letter. He read,

_Hi Jeff. I see you have found my letter. How are you, beautiful? You thought you could get away with never seeing me again and then showing up to make your guilt go away? Sorry, things don't work that way. You should have replied to my letters. Or maybe, your bitch hid them. I don't know. I searched the entire house for them but couldn't find them. Did they scare you that much? Well, here's the payback. You assholes placed me in this hell hole and thought you could get on with your life. You, Matt, and Shannon. Oh, so smart! Well, this time, you're going to hurt. You're going to experience the pain that I've felt thanks to you and your little posse. Wait, don't your online fans call you "the core"? Remind me next time I'm around to meet this Shane Helms guy. He could be fun. :) Anyway, you probably want to know where Matt and Shannon are, right? Oh, and the blood. Nice effect, right? Poor Matt screamed so loud when I sliced his arm. Ouch. Well, lucky for you, I'm leaving a trail behind. Let's play a game. Hide and seek Coral. But be careful… when time runs out, you can say goodbye to those you love. Three hours. Can you do it? Here's your first clue._

_Riddle One:_

_What should you do?_

_Where could they be?_

_Don't add insult to INJURY._

_The next clue is by the tree._

Jeff's anger boiled inside of him. That bitch had hurt his brother and God only knows what else she had done to him and Shannon since then. He began to feel his eyes water, unsure of what to do. This was his fault. Not Beth's. His.

"What did the note say?" He gave it to Beth, his eyes narrowed. Jeff didn't even understand the riddle. Tree? There were thousands of trees around them. Where would they start? It was obvious they didn't have much time. He wasn't sure if Coral was hinting on killing them, but he knew better than to take any chances. Three hours wasn't that long.

"Tree?"

Jeff shrugged. "I don't know what she's talking about."

"We don't have much time," Beth continued softly. "We need to find them."

"Oh, we'll find them," Jeff spoke confidently, though he wasn't sure if he really could say so. "She's not getting away with this."

"We need to find that tree. The next riddle is there."

"It would be a lot better if we weren't surrounded by trees, you know."

Beth sighed. "I guess we should start. Take the note with you. Maybe there's something we're missing." With that, Beth grabbed Lizzie and Lucas and followed Jeff out the door, not trusting to leave the dogs alone. They followed the couple toward the woods, staring at the trees before them for a moment, searching for another note.

"Wait," Jeff said, staring down at the paper. "Injury is capitalized. Maybe that means something."

"Injury? Hell, you've both been beat up before. That doesn't help."

"No! No," Jeff replied, shaking his head. "Tree and injury. She's talking about the time Matt fell climbing the tree when we were young and broke his arm, I think. It was by the old wrestling trampoline. Let's go check."

Beth raised her eyebrows, but huddled the dogs and followed her boyfriend's slightly confusing request. It took several minutes before they got near the area. The old trampoline still stood, though it was rusty and old. Jeff scanned the area, trying to remember which tree Matt had fallen out of as a kid. Then, out of nowhere, he noticed a piece of paper flapping in the breeze just to his right. His heart stopped as his ran closer. One step closer to finding his brother and Shannon alive.

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**I don't know if Matt fell out of a tree when he was younger, but I remember seeing the pic of him on his myspace as a kid with a broken arm. So I made it up. :) Haha. Anyway, read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Yay, updating, updating! Woo woo woo, you know it. ;D Lol. Thanks for the reviews. These chapters don't seem to be very long, but I'm not going to force them to be. I hope you enjoy though, I'm enjoying writing it!

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Jeff nearly tripped over his own to feet as he neared the tree roots. Cursing slightly, he leaned forward and pulled off the paper, holding it gingerly in his hands as if it would disappear into thin air if he held it too loosely. Then, just before he could open it, Beth screamed, "Jeff, look out!"

He dived out of the way just in time as a paint can came swinging through the tree branches. Watching it move, he shuddered. If he hadn't have moved fast enough, it would have gotten him directly in the back of the head. He shook his head stood, noticing that there was red splatters on the top of the metal can.

Beth ran up to Jeff, Lucas and Lizzie following. "Are you alright, Jeffro?" she whispered, holding onto him tightly for a moment until she deemed him safe.

He nodded in a haze. "Hey, Beth?"

"Yeah?"

"Does that look like blood to you over there, or paint?" They neared the can and both gasped as it was too dark to be any type of paint. "Shit!"

Beth touched the can. "It's hollow. Open it."

Jeff carefully untied the paint can and set it on the ground while the two dogs ran around him in excitement. Then, he put his finger under the lid, finding it would open easiest that way. After a silent few minute struggle, he was met with a foul smell. But what disgusted him must was what he saw on the inside of the canister. "Fucking sick bitch!"

Beth grabbed his shoulders, looking alarmed. "What's the matter?"

"It's not Matt or Shannon's blood," he mumbled in slight relief. "She fucking slaughtered some rabbit." Almost in vain, he showed her the contents before Beth nearly vomited from the smell inside. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

They sat in silence for a moment as Jeff tightly put the lead back on. "I think it's an omen from her," Beth finally answered.

Jeff didn't get it. "What?"

"It's an omen of what is to come. We don't find Matt and Shannon in time? That'll be what we have to look forward to."

His stomach churned at the thought. If Coral as so much put a hand on his brother and best friend, she'd spend the rest of her days drinking from a straw. The thought disgusted him. Sure he'd thought Coral was in serious need of help, but he didn't believe she'd go this far. The more he thought about it, the more he resented the girl and wanted her to suffer for what she was doing.

"We need to open the envelope that was left by the tree then." Jeff stood on wobbly legs and grabbed the fallen paper, taking a seat again next to Beth. He took a moment to pull her closer and kiss her forehead. Beside him, Lucas and Lizzie sat and waited patiently.

_Hello, Jeff!_

_You're doing great. You have found the next note, I see. Pity… I guess you must have seen the little surprise I left with it. He was a feisty thing, you know. Almost got free, but I wasn't about to let him do so… understand? Good. He's the next riddle. Have fun!_

_One step closer, one step back_

_Welcome to this payback_

_Are you ready to say goodbye?_

_"Keep a stiff upper lip, move on, _

_Big Boys don't cry."_

It only took a moment to know what Coral meant with her second clue. How she knew, he wasn't sure, but the thought still sickened him. Those words in the quotation marks were what his father had told him after his mother passed away all those years ago.

"What's the matter, Jeff?"

He showed her the note. "My father said that to me when I was young."

"I remember," she answered softly. "But what does it mean? Your father is away for the week, thank God."

"Maybe he means we should go look at his house."

"No, I don't think so. That would be too easy."

"But it'd be exactly something sneaky she'd do."

"I don't think so," Beth repeated. "Where else could she mean?"

Jeff scanned the riddle again. "Wait," he muttered. "Maybe she means the hospital where my mother was sat when she died."

"What makes you think that?"

Jeff touched the paper and looked to the sky for a moment, shaking his head. "I don't know. I just have a feeling." They exchanged a glance as Jeff thought about it. "Come on!"

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**Ooh, is Jeff right? I'm contemplating how many clues there should be if they make it all the way... maybe five? Hmm, we'll see. Anyway, read and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Woo, this chapter is finally finished. Again, it's not very long. I don't know why I can't write longer chapters for this story. There doesn't seem to be as much to go on. But I promise the next chapter will be VERY eventful. This one is a bit confusing though... hmm, thanks for the reviews, as always. And that's it. Enjoy!

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They took Jeff's car to the hospital where Jeff had seen his mother die in all those years ago while the dogs yipped in the backseat, excited and slightly nerved from Beth and Jeff's actions. Beth was watching Jeff as he drove. She wasn't sure what to do. Part of her wanted to comfort him as he looked absolutely depressed, but the other part knew he wouldn't listen. He was headstrong. Jeff didn't listen. He took his own path.

"What if it's not here?" she asked instead in a small voice.

"We go back to my father's house then."

Back to the eerie silence. Beth bit down on her lip. She always knew what to say to Jeff. They were soul mates after all. She honestly believed that since they had met. But now she was so uncertain with him. He didn't seem like the slightly odd, but extremely lovable daredevil she met all though years ago. That was replaced but an older stature and shell of that Jeff Hardy. This Jeff Hardy was betrayed by a cruel, evil little girl who wanted to hurt the people he loved and that changed him in only hours. He seemed so scared.

Lucas crawled upfront onto Beth's lap and began to lick her face with worry of his own in his doggy eyes. "We're going to find your daddy," she spoke softly, rubbing his ears. "And Uncle Shannon too…"

Minutes later, they arrived in front of the large building. Jeff got out of the car immediately and stared up at it, his hands in his pockets. Beth followed after making sure the dogs were safe and pulled herself near him, placing her hands on his shoulders. She felt his shoulder freeze at her touch and she watched his as jaw locked. The hospital was a very painful memory to him.

"Jeffro… are you okay?" She was squeezing his shoulder in a way that he normally enjoyed, but was now unresponsive to. "Jeff?"

Jeff looked around him as if she hadn't said a word. "I don't see anything. Do you?"

She scanned the area, deciding to dismiss his odd behavior. "No. I don't." Oh how she wished she did. She'd do anything to find a letter or even better: Matt and Shannon. It sickened her over again to think that Coral had taken them and hurt them, as well as an innocent little creature. "Maybe she put it inside of the hospital…"

"Well, if she did, that's just _fucking_ great!" he spat angrily, slamming his hands on the roof of his car, making both Lucas and Lizzie jump in the backseat, eyes scared. Beth stepped back, a little frightened herself. She knew Jeff would never hurt her, but angry Jeff wasn't a fun person to deal with. Finally, he noticed the fear that surrounded him and the anger softened into remorse. "Beth, I'm sorry…" he muttered. "I'm just stressed."

Beth was quick to nod her head and pull him into a hug. "We all are," she muttered. "You just need to remain calm. She'd want you angry. Don't' give her that benefit. Let's think. What would she have done?"

Jeff gave her a slightly amused smirk. "Well, considering I don't know her mind and nor do I _ever_ want to, I don't know."

"Lets just—"

"Excuse me, are you Jeff Hardy?" An unfamiliar voice cut Beth off. They turned to face a younger woman who looked timid and scared. In her hands was several papers held together by her trembling fingers.

Jeff nodded. He really wasn't in the mood to sign an autograph. "Look, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but—"

"Then here!" she said quickly, tossing the papers at him. "These are for you."

Beth and he caught them before they fell to the floor, looking at the woman. She no longer looked afraid. Actually, she looked evil too. "Oh, and before I go—" She cut off, slamming her fist into Jeff's stomach. He collapsed onto the ground and before Beth could react, the girl ran off.

"Jeff!"

He glared as he held his stomach and watched the woman trot off. "So now she has people doing her dirty work, doesn't she?" Beth helped him stand and they leaned against the car. Jeff pulled the now wrinkled papers back into his view and stared at them. "What is this supposed to mean?"

Beth shrugged. "I don't know."

"Great. So now we're supposed to read a blank piece of paper?" He threw his free hand up in air. "This is more confusing than one of Matt's cryptic blogs!" And at the mention of his own brother's name, he stopped and felt his expression falter from anger to determination. "Maybe she dropped one…"

"Why would she hand you a bunch of other pieces of paper then?"

Beth leaned back against the car as Jeff searched for another paper. She held the papers in her hands, pulling the five pieces back and forth. Finally, something almost unseen to her vision blurred in front of her. "Jeff, look!"

He came over, obviously tired. "What?"

"It spells store."

"So?"

"Maybe this _is_ a riddle or a clue, whatever. Where is the nearest store here?" Almost instantaneously, she stopped and laughed. They were downtown. There were plenty. "Think, think…"

"Maybe a plant store?"

"Why?"

"Paper," he reminded her, tapping it. "Like Staples or something."

Beth shook her head. "It doesn't feel right."

"Then what?" he asked.

She sighed. "I don't know."

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**Confusing, yes? And damn, evil girl! Anyway, read and review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: I'm sorry there isn't frequent updates to this. I'd love to be able to post everyday, but unforunately time doesn't always allow that. Thank you for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter though. I love to read them! There isn't else much to say. Ooh, but if you read my story, you may enjoy Torilei's stories _Fighting Fires _and _Melting Ice_ it's sequel. It's a WONDERFUL series that is very much Jeff/Beth which I love. She also reads this story so I wanted to plug her story here because it's WONDERFUL. Oops, I said that already. Oh well, it is! ... and she's much better at updating then I am. SO GO READ HER STORY OR I WILL GET CORAL ON YOUR ASS... I mean... please go read her story? (They're in my favorites). Odd, I'm hyper and I haven't had sugar. Oh well. Please enjoy the chapter! ;)

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Jeff leaned back against the car, trying to not get annoyed with Beth. It wasn't her fault, after all that Coral was a crazy bitch who wanted to make their lives hell. Even though she was getting to him somewhat however, he wasn't going to let her win. This wasn't over. He was going to find whatever "store" she was speaking of, find the next clue and finally find his brother and best friend. This girl had to know that this nice, compassionate, and understanding Jeff was so far gone. Once you truly messed with his family, you were not any longer a friend of his and you did not have his support. It was different when he thought Coral just needed to get her life back together and get on some medication, but it was obvious to him and everyone else: she wasn't going to get any better because she didn't want to. Coral wanted to inflict pain on people. How had he ever gotten her so wrong? It sickened him to think that she had twisted him around her little finger.

"We're going to find the next clue," Jeff said with a new determination. "I don't care how long it takes for me to find that girl."

Beth quivered at this. "Jeff… we don't have all the time in the world." Gently, she reminded him that Coral had given them three hours and when the time ran out… well, it wouldn't be a pretty picture ending. That much was obvious. "But," she added with the same determination that Jeff had. "We will find them. We still have a little over two hours."

The idea that time was running off around them scared the younger Hardy. He had almost forgotten that Coral had given them a time limit. Part of him wanted to believe that she wouldn't touch Matt or Shannon, but the logical part of Jeff knew the truth; she hated both of them and would do so gladly if she hadn't already done something.

"Let's go then," Jeff murmured. "We got to keep moving."

"A store," Beth murmured as she got into the car, the dogs yipping. "A store. What kind of store? Did Coral like any store when she got here? I don't remember anything, but of course, she didn't really talk to me at all, so…"

"I don't remember anything myself, Beth." He kissed her cheek as they stopped at a red light. Having Beth around was the only thing keeping him sane. It really would have been bad if Coral had gotten all three of those closest to him. With his other half at his side, he couldn't help but feel a little surer of himself. "I don't remember a lot of the time she was here, actually. A lot of it seems like a blur. And the parts I do remember I tried to block out for a while."

"Maybe she's not talking about a store then. Can we spell anything else with those letters?"

"Nothing useful." Jeff sighed. They weren't getting anywhere. "I don't get it. This is her hardest riddle yet."

Beth stared out the window at the highway as they drove without a destination. "Wait!" she cried as they passed a familiar place. "I think I know!"

"What?!"

She instructed Jeff to take the exit coming up with excitement in her eyes. It would make sense if it was that, but at the same time, she almost wished she wasn't going on the right hunch either. If it was right, there was a possibility that more people were hurt and she didn't want that.

"What is it, Beth? Where do you think the next riddle is?"

Beth pointed to the building coming up to her left with a proud, but still uncertain smile. "Gas Chamber Ink. It's a store and a place that Coral is aware of. It would make sense, but still require thinking on our part."

Jeff nodded, eyes glowing. "It's a place we can start, regardless. I hope Coral didn't hurt anyone though."

"That's what I was worried of."

Quickly, they pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. "Why don't you wait here, Beth? So the dogs don't freak out, you know? I'll only be a few minutes, I'd think. I'm just going to look for the clue and see if everyone inside is okay."

Beth smiled at Jeff, pulling him down for a kiss as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Okay, Jeffro. Don't be too long though."

"I won't." He smiled too. "Be right back."

Jeff unlocked his door and looked at the building before him and prayed Beth was right while he also wished that Coral had just left a note for him and not hurt any of the Gas Chamber Ink employees. People like Shane were good people and they weren't a part of this. But chills swept over him as he entered, not seeing anyone inside. It was eerily quiet as he stepped toward Shannon's desk, searching it over for anything that looked out of place. When he didn't find anything, he went over everyone else's desks, finding nothing. So, with a final sigh, he decided to look in the back at some odd hope that maybe Coral just wanted to be difficult.

"Shane!" Jeff cried as he entered. The large man was tied up and unmoving as he entered, body in an abnormal position as if he had put up a struggle beforehand. But what scared Jeff the most was the red colored writing that spelled his name and happened to be stuck on the rope around Shane's arms. It didn't look like paint, it didn't look like ink: it looked like blood. And since Shane seemed to be physically fine from his viewpoint, he didn't believe it was his.

Bending down, he found a pulse and looked up thankfully toward the sky. Then, he took off the note and opened it, revealing the next riddle, very different and seemingly (more so hopefully) a lot easily to read then the papers that girl had thrown at him.

_Riddle #4_

_Memories are of plenty_

_You'll soon be on empty_

_Like back on that road_

_Be careful, don't get towed!_

Jeff frowned but before he could react, he heard something that nearly made his heart shatter: Beth screaming. Getting up, barely looking back at Shane, he rushed forward toward the front of the store to see Beth being dragged by her hair into a black van without any license plates. The person dragging her had a ski mask on and was much too big to be Coral. Jeff ran as fast as he could toward the van but it had pulled off into the highway before he could get close enough.

Collapsing onto the floor, he began to cry. The window to his car was shattered and the seatbelt was still intact. Whoever that was who had grabbed Beth had broken the window and pulled her out by her hair for what it seemed. The dogs were howling in fear, both jumping on the windows, looking at Jeff for support.

He got up, wiping his tears and looked around. What was he going to do? The one person who kept him together was just pulled from under his grasp. And it was his fault! He had told her to stay in the car and now… she was gone. Jeff went back into Gas Chamber Ink, trying to hold it all together. There wasn't much he could do for Shane right then so all he did was lock the doors to the tattoo parlor and get back into his car, desperately trying not to panic. All he wanted was something to go on more than clues: he wanted to be directly wherever Coral was with his family.

Looking back at the clue while his heart ached, Jeff knew exactly where to go next.

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**Oh no, someone took Beth! And Coral is hurting everyone, isn't she? GCI... yikes. Poor Shane! But the next clue. Apparently Jeff knows where he's going. Do you think you do? Tell me! Anyway, read and review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: We're nearing the end of this story. Gasp, I know, quick right? I'd say maybe three or so more chapters until it ends. Thank you SO much for the reviews: I loved reading them. Not much more to say but: enjoy!

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"When I get my hands on her," Jeff mumbled as he tried to drive. It was hard though. Every time he began to think about what he had just seen happen, he wanted to rip the steering wheel to pieces and pretend it was whoever took his soul mate from him. Hearing her screams, knowing she was in an immense amount of pain and terror was surging through her body was enough to make him wish it was him, and not her.

It was probably a good thing that he knew exactly where he was going this time around. The clue seemed unbearably simple compared to the last clue Coral had left. Although, it was very unnerving that Coral knew the private locations of his past, things that had never graced an internet blog ever and only were talked about through family memories, none of which Coral had ever been present for. He didn't want to know how she knew; he just wanted his hands around her neck.

The road Coral was speaking about was the road in his nightmares. About five years ago, Matt and Jeff had broken down on the exact road on their way home from Cracker Barrel with Shane Helms. They had walked the remainder of the way to Matt's house but by the time they drove back in Shane's car, Matt's car had been towed, something odd for a small town. It had remained a funny, yet strange subject between the friends for the time that has passed since. Jeff just wanted to know why the next clue was there. What would he see? Was it just some strange occurrence that the road happened to be the same road from his reoccurring dream?

As he drove, he wondered. The dream had been so terrible to him, so real and frightening. He didn't notice as a truck flashed their lights at him from behind. Somehow along the way, he had begun to drive slowly. Jeff pulled aside so the truck could pass, but it came to a full stop. Alarm filled Jeff's eyes as he realized who the truck belonged to: it was Shane's from Gas Chamber Ink. Whoever was inside was the same person who had taken Beth. But she wasn't in the truck. All he saw was the same ski mask and a sick smile.

Quickly, he pulled back into the road and began to drive. The truck matched his speed easily, revving the engine on several occasions. Then, the truck lunged forward, shoving into Jeff's much smaller convertible, sending him flying into the steering wheel and knocking the wind out of him.

From behind, the dogs yipped in fear. Jeff didn't have time to comfort them as the truck driver did the same thing again, this time making him loose the grip of the steering wheel. In an eerie irony to his dream, the car began to loose control and swerved off the road, going down a ditch and into an area that was just beyond the place the car had stalled all those years back.

The dogs were barking and howling as they spun down the hill toward that place and Jeff struggled to remain upright. He heard the truck driving away, the sound of rubber meeting gravel, spitting the dirt in a million directions. And when he finally came to a stop, Jeff sighed thankfully. Although he noticed a few scraps and a couple of sore areas, he was okay. The dogs also were okay much to his gratitude.

"Sorry Lucas, Lizzie," he muttered, seeing their untrusting eyes. Gently, he placed his trembling hand on Lizzie's head, patting it. Then, he turned his attention to his surroundings. Trying to open the door, he found it stuck. A few profanities escaped his lips while he pounded on it with his shoulder, leaving a searing pain in his arm.

"Shit," he growled, looking at his arm. There was a deep cut on his shoulder, bleeding somewhat rapidly. So, with one last pound, he managed to open his door, tumbling out into the dirty ground below him. More pains became apparent as he stood up. One pain in his left side, a nagging pain in his knee and a much more intense pain in his back, making it harder on him to remain upright. But with willpower, he opened the backdoor to the totaled car, grabbing the leashes that Lizzie and Lucas were on. There wasn't any way he would leave them there knowing that Coral could come and find the dogs and play cruel tricks on two innocent creatures.

"I'm going to kill her."

Slowly, he made it up the hill and back onto the road. Scanning the area, he searched for another clue, seeing nothing. Jeff knew he had to stop the bleeding on his arm, but he also knew time was running out. There was about an hour left until the three hour mark passed and Coral had said she'd hurt his family, Beth now obviously included. There wasn't any time to think about his pain or whatever else involved the crash. There was a clue somewhere here, he was sure of it.

Jeff searched the area for over ten minutes, scanning every tree in a thirty-foot radius, looking on every ounce of ground he passed but there was nothing. He collapsed on the ground, both of the dogs coming into his lap, licking his face. Had he come to the end? Was there no help left to save his family? He didn't see a clue. There just wasn't one there.

Lucas whined and nudged Jeff, pushing his doggy nose into Jeff's bleeding arm. "I know, Lucas. I know." But Lucas continued to whine and soon enough, so did Lizzie. "What is it?"

Before he could look behind him, something came down on his back, leaving a pain that could only be described as completely unbearable. Jeff cried out in pain, trying to see whoever was attacking him, but before he got the chance, the weapon came down again, but this time on his head. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a twisted smile and bright, green eyes: Coral Moore.

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**Yikes! Coral makes her first appearance in a while! Now that Jeff's knocked out, will he be able to find the last clue in time and save everyone? Hmm... Anyway, read and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Hmmm, yep, still going for about three or four more chapters of this. :D Thanks for the reviews as always. Now, as for this chapter, it's short but I wanted it that way. You'll see why at the end. ;) Enjoy!

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Jeff awoke in a strange room in a strange house. He couldn't sit up – the pain was excruciating in both his back and in his head. Someone had placed him on a lightly colored bed, covering him in a lace throw blanket. Just beyond whatever room he was in someone was talking with a heavy southern accent, the voice female. It wasn't Coral though – oh how he wanted to get his hands around her neck! Then, fear rippled through him. What time was it? How long had he been out? How the hell did he even get there? The worst: was his family still alive?

"Hello?" Jeff called out quietly, dragging his aching body up, staggering toward the door. The pain in his head made it hard to see or walk straight but the unique man managed to open the room door slightly and peak out. In what seemed to be a kitchen was an overweight woman who was smoking a cigarette, talking into her cell phone loudly. The entire house seemed filled with smoke, or maybe that was just the haze in his mind. _Where_ was he?

Nothing seemed familiar. There wasn't much on the walls or in the room; it gave no recognition to wherever he had come to. Finally, he decided to take a chance and stepped out of the room, clinging to the grimy wall so he could walk. "Hello?"

The woman flipped around, her eyes dark and unwelcoming. "Bea? I'll have to call you back. Bye." She stood, a less than warm smile finding its way on her face. "I see you've awakened."

"Where am I?"

The woman didn't answer. "Would you like something to drink? I have milk and uh, let's see. Robert didn't go shopping, so I think that's about it." She made her way toward the stove and shook an ancient-looking tea kettle. "I can make you tea though. How about that?"

Anger surged through his body. He didn't want her damn tea! He wanted to know where he was. "Where am I?" he repeated with ample hostility in his voice.

The woman turned around. "Tsk, tsk," she murmured. "My guest is impolite. I thought all Southern men were gentleman."

"If I had any idea where I was, maybe I would be!" Jeff fired back, slapping his hand on the dirty counter next to him. "Where _am _I?"

The woman sat back down at her over-crowded table of what looked like bills and other important papers. She didn't seem to care about them though. Clothes and other objects littered the same space and many of the papers had also found their way to the floor. In fact, the entire house was filthy. It looked like someone hadn't cleaned in years. "I found you on the road, dear. You were knocked out."

"_Why_ didn't you bring me to a hospital then?" There seemed to be something off about her story. Or maybe it was the fact that she seemed like a scatterbrain all together.

The woman smiled a toothy smile, revealing a mouth of rotting teeth. He cringed and looked away. "Darling, I used to be a nurse. You were fine so I brought you here to rest. My husband, Robert? He put you in his truck and then went back to work at the slaughter house."

It seemed to be getting better and better for Jeff. First, some creepy woman who obviously didn't understand what the word 'clean' meant had taken him and then, he had obviously been transported in a slaughter truck. As if he needed the confirmation, there was blood all over his clothes. But even that truly didn't matter. What time was it? There didn't seem to be any windows in the woman's house… in fact, it looked more like an apartment.

"What time is it?" Jeff tried, considering the lady wasn't going to answer his other question. "I need to get out of here."

"Oh no, no," the woman cried, grabbing the kettle he hadn't even seen her put on. "You need to have some tea first! And you're hurt, dear. You need rest. You can't leave!"

"I _need_ to leave!" He didn't want to tell her that his family was in trouble since this woman did not seem trustworthy at all, but there had to be a way out. "Sorry, lady but I have more important things to do." He took off down the hallway but stopped short when he saw a large, pink-faced pit bull growling at him, teeth barred.

"Baxter!" the woman called. "Be nice. Dear, why don't you just stay for tea?" She was definitely not trustworthy. Each time he looked at her, more suspicion rose inside of him. What were the odds of someone finding him on that road? Hardly anyone came onto it anymore. In fact, Jeff was sure it was only Matt and Jeff who used it.

"Who are you?" Jeff asked in fear, wondering if he could get a name out of the question dodging woman. "I need to get out of here," he also added for effect.

The woman smiled. "I'm Felicia," she said happily. "What's your name, dear?"

Then, like a sack of bricks being thrown toward his abdomen, the reason why she seemed so untrustworthy and weird came to him. Actually, he felt stupid for not seeing it before. "What's your last name?" Jeff continued, staring her down again.

Felicia smiled. "Moore, dear. I'm Felicia Moore."

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**Felicia Moore. For those of you who may not have put it together: Coral MOORE. Felicia MOORE. ;) Anyway, read and review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Hmm, maybe there will be more than four chapters left. We'll see. It all depends how it writes down on paper. I outlined the ending of the story, but I'm not sure how it will go. Just... thanks for the reviews and please, please, please... enjoy!

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Jeff would be lying if he said he wasn't scared shitless as he stared at Coral Moore's mother. He found it odd that she looked so much like her and yet so much like Shannon. They had different mothers, after all. She had the same face shape, same shape of her eyes, same lips… unnerving, really. And the way she was standing there with an innocent smile frightened the younger Hardy brother even more.

"Where is she?" He couldn't even say her name. Jeff was afraid if he said it, he'd lose his temper.

"Jeffrey? Why do you look so bewildered?"

"How do you know my name?" Even though he knew how, he wanted to catch her in a lie. Give her a reason for him to try to get out of there. With the pit bull in the other room and the quiet by eeriness that surrounded him, he knew he couldn't get out on his own free-will. It would take work.

Felicia continued to give him that Coral-like smile, as if she didn't know a thing in the world. Also staring at her, he couldn't believe this woman was an addict or at least, an ex-addict. She looked somewhat childlike, also very much like Coral in that respect. She couldn't be taller than five-two. Her features were young although she looked a mess.

"Jeffrey, I've known your name for months, darling."

Bile almost rose up from his stomach, but he forced it back down. Maybe if he played around long enough, he would work his way out of there too. "How?"

"Oh Jeffrey, look! The tea is ready." She clapped her hands together excitedly and walked a waddle toward the filthy stove, taking the kettle off and filling a grimy-looking cup to nearly the brim. From there, she waddled back toward the refrigerator and took out milk which much to his surprise was fresh looking. Finally, she poured some sugar in and turned back around. "Here, Jeffrey. Drink up. You need your strength."

The cup remained in her palm while Jeff stared her deeply in the eye. "Look, Felicia, stop fuckin' around with me. Where is the little bitch?"

"Oh no," Felicia crowed in a strange voice and Jeff learned that the drugs may not have affected her physically but they sure did seem to reflect on her mentally. "No… no. You do not say that, Jeffrey. Don't you see? Your anger causes you pain. It's your actions that caused this, dear. That is why I needed to break her free. You put her in chains and left her without food… you can't do that, dear. She needs power to live… you gave her power, she felt strong… but you knocked her down. You made her feel terrible and now… you must pay."

_This fucking woman is out of her mind!_ Jeff couldn't help but think as he inched backward, trying to get a better understanding of his surroundings. Maybe there was another way out. With the pit bull resting in the hallway that led to the door, Jeff couldn't help but feel more and more suffocated. Soon enough, he knew she would be back for him. His family would be gone if they weren't already… Beth. He froze in place thinking about her, remembering the terror and the agony in her screams. And Matt and Shannon… the last thing he had said to them wasn't good. They were fighting… if only he could take it all back. If only he knew what the girl had planned.

He'd take everything back.

"You're fucking crazy! You both are!" Jeff backed away from Felicia, careful to keep his voice at an indoor level so the sleeping dog to his right wouldn't wake up and make an early dinner out of him. "Leave me the fuck alone!"

"Jeffrey, it's too late for that. You were bad, now you pay."

Something silver caught his eye as she inched toward him. Beside the tea, there were knives. He didn't know if they were sharp or not, but it was better than nothing. "You know, Felicia, I think you're right. I need some tea."

The evil look in her eyes disappeared quickly. "Oh! You do? Great, dear! Let me get that for you!"

But Jeff was quicker and he walked in front, smiling at the obviously senile woman. "It's okay. I'm a big boy." He waited until Felicia looked away and then pulled out a knife and hid it behind his back. Slowly then, he pretended to take a sip of the tea. At least he wasn't stupid there. Jeff knew there was some kind of sedative in the drink after seeing her put in a powder that was much to thin to be sugar.

"Is it good, dear?"

"Very good," Jeff lied with a smile. "Do you mind if I go outside to smoke a cigarette, Felicia?" He didn't want to have to use the knife if it wasn't necessary. He gave her an apologetic smile. "It's a terrible addiction, but I can't seem to get rid of it."

"You can smoke in her." Her careful eyes showed she was catching onto him. "Why don't you rest by the table and I'll go get some of mine? I have Newport's."

_Yes!_ Jeff thought as she walked out of the room and her shadow went down the hall. Quickly, he stood and inched his way toward the door all the way to his right. When he arrived, he turned the lock and was met with a shock that he never expected. It wasn't a door… at least, it wasn't anymore. In place of what was once an exit to the house was now bricks.

"Jeffrey?" He cursed under his breath. "I told you to smoke in the kitchen."

He flipped around, showing the knife. "Back up! Now!"

Felicia laughed. "Oh, Jeffrey. Will you ever learn?"

"WHERE IS THE EXIT TO THIS PLACE, LADY? TELL ME!"

Felicia continued to howl her child-like giggles but then simply said, "Baxter! Here boy. I have a toy for you…" The sound of a growling pit bull sent chills up Jeff's spine, but he reminded himself he was a wrestler and he had taken on bigger and stronger individuals and also knew plenty of holds to get him out of this mess.

Pointing the knife at Felicia, he shouted, "Move out of my way!"

The woman did as she was told and the pit came into the room, teeth barred, fur up on the back of its neck. With a gulp of air, Jeff took off for the kitchen, hearing the skidding of the dog's feet from behind him. He made it into the room he awoke in just in time before the dog hauled itself at the door. Behind it, Jeff sighed quietly. He was safe… if only for now. But he was also stuck in the room and without a way out… how could he save his family? … If they weren't dead already…

The thought nearly gutted him. What time was it? Without any windows and with his back still killing him, he couldn't find out the time, let alone break free. There weren't any air vents in the room and he was sure if he walked back through that door, he'd be a dog's dinner.

"What am I going to do?"

Jeff paced through the room for nearly a half hour, taking deep breath after deep breath. All he saw was Beth's face in his mind, the confusion on Matt's, and the complete look of shock on Shannon's. His family was gone. He was alone in a house with a crazy girl's mother who had the same intentions of her.

Suddenly, his foot came over a loose floorboard panel that caught his attention. He stepped back down on it and noticed it squeaked again. With instant hope, he pulled it up and stood back in shock, under it was a pathway of some sort. Perhaps Felicia didn't know he would find it, or she didn't know it even existed, but before she could come find it, he climbed through the pathway and closed the board above it with a smile.

"I'm coming," he whispered quietly. "Please don't let me be too late."

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**Hehehehehehehe. Anyway, read and review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Heeeey, guys! Another chapter for y'all. THANK YOU so much for the reviews. You know I love 'em. Not much more to say for this. Coming toward the end... enjoy!

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The passageway he had entered was dark and narrow and Jeff found himself stumbling forward several times, slightly anxious that the route would lead to a dead end and he'd have to go back to that room and deal with Felicia and her dog. And if Coral had brought him there, she'd be back soon enough too. It was just a matter of when and how. This gave him enough strength to continue, despite the fear inside of him and the pain that was throwing itself down his back. Every time he closed his eyes he saw them and more inspiration dug into him.

Finally, Jeff came to what did seem like a dead end. "Shit," he moaned, kicking at the dirt on the floor with his shoe. He punched the wall over and over in hopes it would shatter. Then, it came to him and he reached up, touching the ceiling. It took a few tries, but just like the one in the bedroom, it opened, the opening was above him. Jeff used his weak body to pull him from the ground, each muscle whining in protest.

"I'm coming," he muttered quietly again. As he came back onto the normal-leveled ground, he noticed it was night. So he had been gone for a while then and the idea of seeing his family again alive could have just worsened.

Before he could continue, something made him stop dead in his tracks. It was Coral's voice and she was screaming inside of the house. "What do you mean you lost him, Mom? I need him! Don't you understand that?"

"Oh, Honey. You don't need him. He's too feisty for you anyway. Besides, he's not going to get far on foot, is he? And that's if he even found a way out…"

Jeff cursed and looked around him, spotting a car with the door open. Much to his surprise, the key was still in the ignition. "Coral you are a moron," he laughed and ran toward it. Except when he closed the door, it slammed shut and Coral's voice rose inside of the house. He could only smile sadistically at her and she came after him, screaming the top of her lungs.

He drove for a while in happiness, glad he was able to get away from that house, but the more he drove, the more he realized he had no idea where he was and how to find his family. All he could see was trees and darkness, making it hard to find a way out of the back roads to wherever he was. He could only estimate that Coral didn't bring him too far, but even that was just a shot in the woods. He was still a person with a blindfold on.

In the end, he decided to pull over and look for something in the car to help. There was nothing in the front seat and nothing in the back except for one thing which made his face drain: a ton of blood. "Oh my God," he moaned, feeling his heart come to a complete stop inside of his chest. That was his family's blood… she had hurt them and now he was too late.

The younger Hardy brother collapsed on the side of the car, burying his hands in his face while he began to sob and let his guard down. He was too late. With all that blood, someone had to be dead. Coral had won… she had actually won.

_Don't give up…_

"Beth?" Jeff asked. He was sure he had heard her voice. "Are you here?"

_Don't give up, Jeffro. Don't give up…_

"Beth? Where are you?" He got up and looked around him in the darkness. Except for the trees, nothing was there. "Beth?"

_Keep going… keep driving. Don't give up…_

Jeff put on hand on the car, motioning to the mess inside. "But…"

Don't _give up…_

He was either going crazy, or somehow, Beth was there with him, leading him on the way. With a shake of his head, he got back in the car and began to drive down the road. Oddly enough only minutes later, he came to a highway and found he was only a twenty minute ride from his house. He wasn't sure though what scared him more: the idea that Coral's mother lived so close to him, or the idea that she was alive at all.

When Jeff got back to his road, he jogged the remaining distance to Matt's house and stormed inside. The blood was still on the ground as he entered the kitchen, shocked to see the dogs—which he was ashamed to admit he forgot about—inside, whimpering and crying. Jeff tried to calm them for a moment, and then gave up, looking for anything that could help him.

Another noise made him turn around and he stood in shock, seeing Shane Helms standing there.

"Shane?" Jeff asked in disbelief. "Don't tell me she got you too."

There was blood all over him and several gashes on his arms. He smiled apologetically at Jeff and nodded. "I came here…" he murmured.

"Shit, are you alright, Man?"

"I'm fine… I know where they are too." He grabbed Jeff by the wrist and led him to the backyard where Matt's hot tub was closed, a thin layer of ice over the tarp even though it hadn't been cold in a while.

"Where are th—?"

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in the back of his head and Shane pushed him into the pool. The cold water hit him like a thousand bricks and he struggled to see beneath the rotten water. "What are you doing?" he sputtered to Shane.

"I'm sorry, Jeff."

It became clear to Jeff that Shane was a part of it as he remembered the larger man taking Beth away in a van. In the corner of his mind, he remembered seeing a van just down the road from Matt's when he arrived. "Why?" Jeff cried.

"I'm sick of being the least known of you guys. You have no idea what that girl has been through and you all treated her like—"

"Oh, fuck you, Shane! WHERE ARE THEY?"

Shane shrugged and began to walk away as Jeff dragged his shaking body out of the water and lunged onto the back of the other North Carolina native. There was a brief struggle but in the end, Jeff had Shane face down in the dirt. "Where are they?" he asked once more in a seething voice.

"My pocket…"

Jeff reached inside Shane's pocket and another note nearly set his heart into his chest…

**Final Clue: Riddle #5**

_Here is the last clue_

_Think hard, you'll know what to do_

_You made it this far, you don't need a hand_

_To end this, go back to where it all began…_

Jeff frowned. Where did it all begin? Hadn't it been Matt's house? Or maybe it was… Jeff grinned. She made it that easy on him? With a shake of his tired head, Jeff dragged Shane up. "Is it Shannon's house?"

His once friend, now enemy didn't answer.

"Fuck you." Jeff got up and put his weight on Shane's back as he tried to figure it out. "Where is my family, Shane?"

"I don't have to tell you nothin'," Shane growled.

Jeff kicked him in the side. "You're going to tell me," Jeff snapped, digging his shoe in the back of Shane's neck. "You want to know why? Because I've been through hell and back today and I'm not leaving until you tell me where they are. Unless, you want to die tonight and don't test me, I'm not in the mood for joking."

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**Gasp, Shane's a part of it! Yep, he is. Remember the second chapter or so? There was a REASON Shane was rooming with Jeff. Coral couldn't do this alone... Anyway, read and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Yoooo! After this chapter, only two left! Gasp. Thanks for the reviews, y'all. Hope you're liking this still. Enjoy!

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Shane struggled against Jeff's weight and tried to turn to look at the enraged man who was determined to find his family. It was hard to believe the resisting man below him was a once a friend. His eyes were so devious now, so malicious in what he had planned on doing. But the truth was he couldn't fight back much longer. With Jeff's foot on his neck, it was sort of like a wrestling hold, slowly wearing him down until he was weak.

"Okay, fine," he spit out angrily, tasting the dirt below him. "I'll tell you where they are."

Jeff didn't trust this. "You make one wrong move, Shane and I swear…" He lunged down and pulled up the weakened Shane.

He raised his hands. "No funny business… I swear…"

Jeff nodded and dragged him to the car that Coral had been using, shoving him into the passenger's seat without being delicate. Shane slammed his head on the metal and growled as the rainbow haired man to his right hopped in with a pleased smile. "Where?" he demanded.

Shane swallowed, rubbing the back of his head. "The motocross tracks…"

"Really?" It couldn't be. He was that close to them the entire time? With a sickening feeling in his stomach, Jeff laughed bitterly, remembering how Coral had said she ran away all those months ago while she was still inside of Matt's house. This was something she would honestly do, and with a feeling of pride inside of her.

"Yeah," Shane mumbled. "She said you'd never guess."

"Damn right." He continued to drive toward his new house, now realizing that Shane was the one to take Beth. "Is she okay?"

"Coral?"

"No," Jeff growled. "My girlfriend, you know, the one who you pulled out of Gas Chamber by her _hair_?"

This seemed to get to Shane and he looked away, twisting his fingers together.

Jeff continued, "Are you _really_ that pathetic that you're going to follow the orders of a five-foot girl who is out of her fucking mind? Because the Shane I know—_used _to know—wouldn't do something like that. So I don't know where the fuck that Shane went, but he's dead to me." The ice in Jeff's voice was enough to close a road a mile long.

Shane narrowed his eyes, "Do you want my help or not, Jeff?"

"I do," Jeff snapped back. "Just don't think this is over once we get there, asshole."

Shane just laughed and looked outside. He contemplated just attacking Jeff again, but he figured with all the anger raging inside of Jeff and the idea that he had worked the entire day planting clues and trying to keep the also fiery Beth quiet, he wouldn't be able to put up a decent fight. Besides, it wasn't like Jeff was going to walk away with his family…

Soon enough, Jeff jumped from the car, forgetting about Shane all together, running toward the place he used to come to relax, but now he had haunting memories for. He couldn't see anything, but that didn't mean that they weren't there. The tracks had several nooks and crannies he needed to look into.

"Beth!" he yelled, "Matt! Shannon!" There was a muffled reply, much to Jeff's surprise and he glanced around him. "Hello?"

His heart nearly stopped when he saw Beth tied up to his right, several cuts on her cheeks, but other than that, visibly all right. She was crying but looked overjoyed when she saw Jeff coming toward her. Quickly, he untied her and pulled her close, hearing her choking sobs with a stab of pain at his heart.

"Where is she?" Jeff mumbled. "Is Coral here?"

"Yeah," she choked out. "It's Shane… Jeff… its Shane—"

"I know…" He brushed her hair from her face gently and kissed her forehead. "It's going to be okay now."

They stood shakily and Jeff protectively put one arm around Beth's shaking body. "Let's—"

Before he could finish, there was a roaring sound and over one of the small hills came one of Jeff's bigger bikes, on it Coral, revving toward them. "Run to my car," Jeff instructed. "Go, okay?"

"No, Jeff."

"Beth, GO!"

"No!"

He sighed. He didn't have time for her stubborn attitude. He had a feeling Coral didn't like to lose. And since she was the one on the metal bike and they were on foot, he had a feeling trouble was only a few feet away. Coral came closer, only missing them with a few strokes, a twisted grin on her face as Beth shrieked. Jeff gently pushed her behind him and stood with his hands on his hips, ready to take the psycho bitch on.

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**Coral returns! ... that sounds weird. But uh, yeah. I thought the fact that Beth was so close was pretty funny in a weird way and totally something Coral would do... Anyway, read and review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Woooo, one chapter left after this. Crazy, huh? Well, thank you for the reviews and well... enjoy!

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She went around the track's twists several times, malicious laughter echoing off the trees and air around them. Jeff didn't have a plan; he only knew to act on instinct. He also didn't know where Shane was either and whether or not he would go along with Coral again and try to hurt Beth. All he really wanted to know though was where his brother and best friend were. Considering it was near dark now and it had been several hours since the given time expired, he could only pray all hope was not lost.

"She's out of her mind!" Beth yelled over the revving engine.

"You think?" He couldn't help but be sarcastic after the day he had. Although exhausted, he would not give up until the bitch on the bike was out of his life for good. Thinking about it more, he still couldn't believe this girl had once been a pity to him, someone he wished he could do something more for. Now he just wanted to ring her neck and toss her into the next year – and far out of their reach.

"Jeff, look out!"

Coral drove dangerously close to Jeff again, grinning wickedly at him as she turned and spit dust into their faces. Coughs began to ricochet around the couple and it became a dust storm, too hard to see into. "We need to reason with her," Jeff mumbled through the dust. "It's the only way for us to find Matt and Shannon."

Beth sniffled, nodding. But it was clear Coral was in no mood to reason. This time, she came forward again, heading directly in their way. Quickly, Jeff pushed Beth away and stood his ground, knowing it would painful but to live and be free, it'd have to be done. And slowly, as she gained ground, he stepped aside and as she passed, pushed her off the bike.

The metal made a sickening crash as it collided with hard dirt and Coral's voice ranged from screams to moans as both the bike and she came to a full stop. The blonde girl was still for a moment before she flipped her hair back and glared daggers at Jeff.

"Tell me where my brother is," he spat angrily. "Shannon too."

She smiled, despite the blood slowly pouring from her head. "I have a condition."

"What?"

Coral stood shakily, smiling the same way she always smiled, this time pointing to Beth. "Make out with me in front of her."

"No!" Jeff rebutted, disgusted by the idea of kissing such a pig. "I won't kiss you."

"The longer you deny me, the longer you stand the chance of never finding your family… _alive_."

Jeff bit down on his lip and looked at Beth. She looked a mix between enraged and disgusted, eyes clouded with confusion. "Do it," she finally said quietly. "We need to find Matt and Shan."

Slowly, he inched forward and pulled Coral's bloody body toward him in a quick movement, sickened by the twisted girl before him. She was practically glowing as he leaned in and pressed his lips against her bright pink, although dusty lips. He had only been down a second when she pulled herself closer and dragged him in, shoving her tongue down his throat.

Finally, Jeff broke free and stepped back, wishing he had mouthwash. He pointed an irritated finger at her. "Now where is my family?"

"I'm not telling you." She giggled childishly, her voice squeaky and high-pitched.

Beth tried to come forward, but Jeff held her back. "Listen you little fucker," Jeff growled. "You're going to tell me where the fuck my family is, bitch or—"

"Language!" Coral giggled. "Such a man…"

Jeff seethed. This was his family he was talking about. He came forward again and grabbed the tiny girl by her throat, watching with content as she struggled to breathe and clawed at his stronger hands. "This is for all the pain you've caused my family," he growled. "Tell me where they are."

She tried to shake her head and in seconds, passed out.

"Great," he muttered, not thinking of this. "Just fuckin' great."

"I'll tell you where they are," another voice said and Shane Helms appeared. On instinct, Beth crawled behind Jeff and glared at her once friend. Jeff only raised his eyebrows as a challenge.

"Why should I believe you will?"

"Because I will," Shane mumbled. "Just come on."

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**Hehehehehehe. So, do you think Shane will help them? You'll find out... Anyway, read and review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: I change my mind. When I began to write the last chapter out, I noticed how long it was going to get if I put it into one whole chapter. So, I'm splitting it into TWO. :) So, yay! Expect it finished this weekend. Now, also, there will be ANOTHER sequel to this story... hehe. What can I say... some awesome people inspired me. ;) So... yeah. Enjoy!

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Jeff narrowed his eyes as Shane Helms stepped forward, a blank yet still determined look on his face. The sad portion of the night was that Jeff didn't even recognize his once friend anymore, he seemed foreign, an interloper to him even.

"Why should I believe you'll help us?" Jeff repeated carefully, trying hard to keep his voice level and calm although he felt just the opposite.

Below him, a drowsy Coral opened her eyes and slid an unctuous look onto her face, rasping out, "He won't help you."

"Shut up!" Shane yelled angrily. "I'm not your doll. I'm done listening to you, freak."

Coral laughed emotionlessly from the ground, rubbing her reddened neck. She wasn't the type to except defeat easily. In her mind, this wasn't over and wouldn't be for a long time. There wasn't any way Jeff could win, she always had a backup plan.

"Shane," Coral sputtered viciously, "you tell them where those pathetic morons are and you'll fucking _regret_ it."

The accused came closer to the small blonde and dug his shoe into her ankle. Coral kept a straight face for nearly a minute before she lunged forward, clawing at his ankle, swearing her way through the ordeal. "You don't scare me, _little girl_," Shane spat. "You may think so, but I don't answer to you." He released his foot and looked at the wide-eyed Jeff and Beth, Beth clinging to her boyfriend. Then, he reached down and flung the weakened girl over his shoulder while she thrashed in protest wildly. "Come on, I'll show you where they are."

Jeff and Beth exchanged a look and then slowly allowed themselves to move forward, still weary on how much help Shane could be when he had proved himself hateful and untrusting not too long before.

"Stay behind me," Jeff instructed Beth. "And if anything bag happens, run back to the car and drive. I don't care where, but just get the fuck out of here, okay?"

Beth hesitated but then slowly nodded. "Alright."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Everything is going to be okay."

She bit down on her lip and nodded again, hoping he was right. She had seen a lot of horror that night so far and she wondered if they all could make it out of this nightmare alive. What if Coral had backup? What if her family was already dead and Shane was leading them to their own demise? There was a strong possibility that Shane was lying to them. They had no proof that he was telling the truth.

"Jeff?"

He turned around at the concern pooling in her voice. "Yeah, Beth?"

She latched herself closer, silently yelling at herself for feeling so weak. But it was just so good to know that Jeff was there, looking out for her. "I love you," she whispered quietly.

He sighed and pulled her even closer. "I love you too. Everything is going to be okay."

Shane was walking toward Matt's house, much to Jeff's surprise. He narrowed his eyes with suspicion, wondering if he should have trusted his ex-friend in the first place. Coral continued to protest, her voice animal-like as she kicked and kicked from on Shane's shoulder. Then, out of nowhere, he stopped and pointed. "They're in the basement."

"What?" Jeff seethed. He stopped and pulled Coral's face up by her hair, glaring at her. "Were they there the whole time?"

She only smiled triumphantly and then spit into his face. "Dick."

Jeff only laughed and flung her back against Shane, looking closely at Beth. Although she had some rope burns, he was glad to see she was alright. With a careful eye on Shane, he took her arm gently and led her toward the house, listening behind him for the other's movements as well.

"Are they really inside?" Beth whispered quietly. "Do you think she's lying?"

"Only one way to find out," Jeff shrugged and entered his brother's house, walking slowly and tentatively toward the basement. He hadn't really thought about anything other than seeing his family back safely, and with Beth in his arms, he couldn't imagine why they wouldn't be.

They made their way down the steps, turning the light on as they went. Jeff's eyes adjusted quickly and he scanned the area, his heart stopping when he saw a limp body that seemingly belonged to Shannon Moore crumbled in the corner of the room. He dropped Beth's hand on instinct and ran forward, falling to his knees in front of the blond man. Beth hurried behind him and gasped, pointing to his head. One side was covered in crimson liquid, some dried, some still pooling out of him. He didn't stir as Jeff touched his back, lifting up his shirt, finding where all the blood from the clues had come from seemingly. All over Shannon's body were cuts and bruises, some deep, some shallow. There was evidence of torture apparent as well.

"Dear God," Jeff murmured. "What did she do to him?"

"She tortured him," Beth murmured back. "That bitch tortured him. You can tell."

"Shannon?" Jeff shook him gently, trying to wake him up, but with no avail. He looked once at Beth's terrified face and then tried to say calmly, "On the count of three, we need to lift him over onto his back. I'd do it alone, but she may have hurt his back… you know? So one… two… three…" Together, they lifted him onto his stomach, finding him still unconscious and with more bruises. His face was caked with blood, much of it staining his dirty blonde hair. Shannon's eyes were closed, one not by choice, instead was a black eye, the other almost translucent.

Out of fear, Beth whispered, "Check for a pulse. He's ice cold."

Why hadn't he thought of that?" Jeff nearly dove for his neck, nearly collapsing with relief when he felt a weak, but still apparent pulse. Because they were so intent on Shannon, they hadn't heard a weak voice calling, "Help."

"What was that?"

"_Help…_"

"Huh?"

Beth stopped. "Did you hear that?"

"_Help_…"

"That's Matt!" Jeff gasped and stood up, eyes darkening. He ran toward the coat closet that he knew was downstairs and after several attempts of breaking open the locked door; it opened, revealing his brother. Jeff nearly collapsed to the floor to see him seemingly okay and in much better condition than his best friend. "Shit, Matt…"

Matt tried to get up, but failed miserably. "You've got to get Shannon help…" Matt muttered weakly, eyes fluttering between aware and sleep. "He's… bad…"

"Beth!"

She came over and gasped, seeing the weakened but still alive Matt. Carefully, she stepped forward and put out her hand and with Jeff's help, they got Matt to his feet. He wobbled considerably, but managed to nod in Shannon's direction. "Call… call the police…"

Beth went to comply, digging for her cell phone, but Jeff stopped her. "Do you smell that?"

"What?" She sniffed the air, alarm filling her eyes. "It's… it's smoke…"

"Yeah," Jeff answered. "Shit! Let's go!"

"What about Shannon?" Matt asked tiredly, leaning against the wall. "We can't leave him…"

"Shannon," Jeff agreed quietly. "Shit."

Beth looked frantically around her. "What are we going to do?"

"Call for the ambulance," Jeff instructed her. "Tell them to hurry here and you get Matt and yourself out of here." He took a deep breath and looked his girlfriend in the eye, knowing that if they left, Coral would come after him and only him. "Do you remember what I told you a few minutes ago?"

She looked fearful. "I'm not… I can't leave you, Jeff."

He looked at Shannon, knowing he couldn't leave him in a house that was obviously going to burn down, but knew he also had a commitment to keep his amazing girlfriend safe while getting his brother help. "You have to, Beth. We'll be fine. Just send them down here when they get here. Stay away from Coral and Shane. Okay?"

"Shane?" Matt asked from the side, his eyes fluttering once more. "Shane…?"

"Nothing," Jeff muttered. He didn't want him to know right then that his best friend had turned against him. "Go, Beth."

"No…"

He looked strongly at her, wishing for her to stay himself. "Please, go. We'll be okay."

Finally, after looking at Matt's obviously deteriorating condition and the urgency of the things around her, she grabbed Matt by the hand and pulled him toward the stairs. "I'll see you as soon as I can," she whispered as she left. "I promise…"

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**I'm gonna let this speak for itself. :) Anyway, read and review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I own a boat full of nothing. :)

**A/N**: Hello, peeps. Okay, here is the last chapter. Yes, you'll find that I've left some things out, but it will be dealt with in the SEQUEL, which I just began to write. Give me a week or so, and I'll get a chapter up. I want to send out major thanks out to Expect-the-Unexpected75 and Torilei for their love of this series, making me want to write for it and well... just being awesome. Thanks! And thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter. Please enjoy!

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He watched her for a moment until she disappeared from the stairs, feeling his heart drop in his chest. Jeff knew this could be the last time he saw her or his brother as the smoke was coming into the basement now, starting to choke the air and his lungs. Trying to keep Shannon from any more negative exposure, he crouched down and sat there, feeling helpless.

"Someone help us," Jeff murmured, putting his finger on Shannon's neck. "Please."

Meanwhile, Beth and Matt were staggering through the upstairs area for the front door. The smoke was thick and the air was dirty, making both gag and sputter to breathe. "Come on, Matt," Beth instructed. "We need to keep moving. Help is on its way."

Matt grunted and tried to inch forward. He had taken several beatings that night from Coral and a masked man, beating that involved things like hammers and objects that could kill. It was a miracle he was alive and in the condition he was in. Seeing as Shannon was much worse off, he thanked God he wasn't in that point.

"DIE!" a voice screamed and there was a shuffle in the darkness. Beth dropped Matt's hand, sending him tumbling into the wall, falling to the ground with a groan.

He listened, feeling like he was in the midst of a true cat fight – between cats and not humans. There was the voice of Coral's, the voice he truly had begun to despise, and the cries of Beth for justice. She was screaming and announcing her hatred for the smaller blonde girl in the smoke.

Then there was a scream and then… silence.

"Get out of here," another voice said… a familiar voice. "Go; now."

"Shane—"

"I'll take care of her," the voice pleaded quietly. "Just go… get him the fuck out of here and go, Beth."

"I'm not leaving—"

"GO!"

More shuffling and then Beth appeared through the smoke, putting her hand out with intense worry flooding through her eyes. He wasn't sure if there was tears there, but he wouldn't doubt it. "Come on," she choked. "Let's go."

They made it to Matt's car where Beth shoved him inside, not bothering to wonder where the keys came from. She got into the opposite side, tears streaming down her face. It was obvious she wasn't looking back for a reason. Beth would go back if she did. She would go back to the burning house and her love Jeff.

"We're going to the hospital," Beth whispered an ambulance whizzed past them, with that two police cars and several fire trucks. Both blinked as the lights shined in their eyes, revealing the horror that the day had brought about. Nearly three am, the night was no longer young and the mess had been made. "This is over… it has to be."

**At the hospital, several hours later. The sun is coming up.**

Beth stood outside, tears still brewing in her eyes. She had a cigarette in one hand, the other shielded from the chilly air. Truthfully, she hated cigarettes. There didn't seem to be a point to inhaling smoke willingly, and even now, with the irony so apparent from hour's previous, she still stood there, watching the ashes fall to the ground, much like her life had over the past few days.

The doctors had told her she was fine. Some rope burn and shock, yes, but her injuries were the least worrisome of the group. Looking around her, she saw other people with equal expressions on their faces. Worried men and women with people inside that building, some fighting for their lives, trying to make something come good out of a horrible situation.

A person crept up beside of her, gently placing their arms around Beth. "You must be freezing," the person said, rubbing their fingers on her open arm. "Come back inside."

"I'd rather not feel any of the pain. Being numb is better." Her words were like ice.

"I'd like you to come inside." The person made Beth turn to him, allowing her pain to bleed through to his eyes. With a shake of his head, he pulled her close and let her sob into his shirt, even though it was covered in soot and the blood of his fallen friend.

"Jeff," she choked out. "What if I would have lost you?"

"You didn't."

She clung to him, her eyes wide with fear. "But I could have. I couldn't live without you, Jeff."

Jeff pulled her close, shaking his head. "Shh. Come on now. We need to go speak with the doctors."

Beth hiccupped and followed him inside, allowing the cigarette to fall to the ground carelessly, sizzling there until the fire finally dimmed to nothing but ashes; a true image of what their day was like.

Doctor Cabby Levens was an older woman with a smile that could warm the heart. She used it to help soften the blows that came with what she did for a job. This time, she hoped she wouldn't have to use that smile. Coming towards her were Jeff Hardy and Beth Britt, both of them here for the patients Matt Hardy and Shannon Moore.

"Hello," she greeted politely. "I'm Dr. Levens."

"Hi," Jeff said curtly. "What can you tell us?"

Beth, beside of Jeff, wiped her eyes, nodding her head. "Well," Dr. Levens started. "For Mr. Hardy, we have very good news. A lot of the cuts and lacerations on his body were not too deep, meaning they did not bleed as badly as we thought they did. He didn't lose too much blood, thankfully. His right arm is broken, however and it seems to be done by a blunt object, maybe a large stone, perhaps. But that's not for our matters here. The police will deal with that."

"Yes," Jeff said. "What about Shannon's condition?"

Dr. Levens sighed. "The blond man, right?"

"Yes, Doctor," Beth answered quietly. "How is he?"

"Well… I'm afraid that's a more extreme case. Mr. Moore was also hit and attacked with an object. We found several of the strikes were done to his head. Although, Mr. Moore tried to block them with his hands."

"Explaining the knuckles," Jeff muttered, closing his eyes. He remembered seeing his friend's hands, covered in blood with a broken look to them. "God."

"Yes," the doctor continued sadly. "That did help him somewhat. He was able to block some of the blows that would have surely killed him. However, some of the blows did make it to his skull and we have found several fractures. Although that is not a fatal condition per se, it can be dangerous if swelling comes about. We've seen some of it so far and managed to get it back down, but the next few days will be somewhat of a roller coaster for him, I'm afraid. His life is in the next few days and how it goes about."

"What are you saying, Doctor?"

Dr. Levens leaned against the wall. "Not including the head injuries, he's lost a massive amount of blood and he's got several broken bones. Considering the extent of this, if he makes it overnight, it will be a miracle."

Beth choked back a sob and Jeff latched onto her hand, swallowing. "Can we see him?"

The doctor's look continued to sadden. "I'm afraid to admit that he is also in a medically induced coma."

"Why?"

"Pain, Mr. Hardy."

Jeff swallowed. "This can't be happening."

Dr. Levens led Jeff to a secluded area and gave him a reassuring smile. "You're more than welcome to stay here overnight. We've gotten Shannon in the ICU, but your brother is already been released. He needs rest, however, so I suggest you get him home."

Jeff closed his eyes again and pictured the burning home of Matt's. Surprisingly, the house wasn't all that damaged in the fire. Some of the upstairs was badly burnt and that was about it. The way Coral had set up the fire had actually worked in their favor. Matt's house would not be going anywhere.

"Okay." He swallowed once more. "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor left, leaving a shaking Beth and terrified Jeff alone. "What now?" Beth choked out. "What do we do?"

Jeff held onto her, eyes darkening. "We just… live. It's all we've got. We live with the scars and just move on, Beth. We have to."

* * *

**The sequel is to be called "Long Road Home." Like I said, I'll post it next week. Anyway, read and review!**


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